1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a dispenser for simultaneously delivering two compositions from separate chambers thereof.
2. The Related Art
Not all chemical ingredients are mutually compatible. Separation may be required because of chemical reactivity or physical incompatibility during storage. Certain health and beauty aids, cleaning compositions and dental formulas may be benefited by packaging that separates respective components of these products. Of particular concern have been dental products which require simultaneous delivery of mutually reactive sodium bicarbonate and hydrogen peroxide.
The art has described a number of packages that separate reactive components by placing their compositions in different chambers. Only at the point of use are these compositions combined. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,694 (Pettengill) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,963 (Pettengill et al) describe rigid piston-type multi-cavity dispensing containers for simultaneous co-extrusion of two or more flowable materials in a predetermined proportion. These rigid containers have the advantage of relatively good control over the co-extrusion process. On the other hand, a considerable amount of plastic is involved in their construction. For environmental reasons, packaging with less plastic is sought.
Another suggestion in the art has been to utilize side-by-side collapsible tubes for toothpaste compositions. Representative of this technology is U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,757 (Kiozpeoplou), U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,663 (Schaeffer) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,539 (Mueller). Each of these disclosures describes a pair of tubes that have been crimped at an end distant from the product dispensing cap end. Actual attempts to crimp the ends of similar tube designs have resulted in improper seals. Not only were the resultant crimps difficult to form, but leakage was also noted in several instances.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dual chamber dispenser utilizing less plastic than rigid packages while still providing good control over co-extrusion of the components.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a dual chamber dispenser utilizing a pair of flexible tubes whose ends can readily be crimped and whose crimp provides an adequate seal.
Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following detailed description and drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof.